Aviation industry to use 20% biofuels made from stubble: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced in the Rajya Sabha that India’s aviation industry is set to adopt 20% bio-aviation fuel within the next five years. Gadkari explained that this initiative will start with stubble (parali) as a key raw material, with farmers receiving Rs 2,500 per ton for their contributions.

Gadkari also discussed the use of bio-bitumen in road construction, which is helping to reduce India’s dependence on imported bitumen. Bio-bitumen, derived from renewable sources such as crop stubble, is used as a binder in road paving.

He noted that, with 90% of India’s road network using bitumen layers, the consumption for 2023-24 was 88 lakh tons, expected to rise to 100 lakh tons in 2024-25. Currently, India imports 50% of its bitumen, costing between Rs 25,000 to 30,000 crore annually.

The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) in New Delhi, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) in Dehradun, has developed bio-bitumen from stubble. Gadkari said that farmers have now become ‘Urja Daata’ (energy providers), contributing not only to food but also to energy and bitumen supplies.

A test section using bio-bitumen was laid on the Shamli-Muzaffarnagar Section of NH-709AD in November 2022 to monitor its performance over three years. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is also considering a trial on the Jorabat-Shillong section of NH-40.

The benefits of bio-bitumen include reduced bitumen imports, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and increased revenue and employment opportunities for farmers and MSMEs.